2008 Mercedes-Benz S550 recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Fuel economy

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Engine

  I’m reporting a serious safety issue with the balance shaft sprocket in my Mercedes-Benz S550 (M273 engine, 273.968). This is a known defect that causes the sprocket to wear out far too early due to poor material design. When it wears, it throws off the engine timing, leading to check engine lights, rough idling, reduced power, and even stalling. In some cases, the engine can shut down while driving, which is a major safety risk. Thousands of people have experienced this exact problem, and it’s all over Mercedes forums, Reddit, and technical bulletins. Mercedes quietly updated the part in later models, which shows they knew the early ones were defective. Some people got repairs under…

  Mar 1, 2025
• Electrical system

  The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz S550. The contact stated while driving 40-50 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering intermittently. The contact stated that the failure recurred while at a complete stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the wiring harness was causing an engine misfire. The mechanic related the failure to an unknown recall. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

  Mar 14, 2014 · 40,000 miles
• Tires

  We were traveling home and our TPMS indicated a tire failure. The PSI starting dropping rapidly. We took the tire off and found that only 4 " of rubber holding the back sidewall together on the tire. I then inspected the other tires on the car (which were purchased and installed at the same time) are showing signs of failure as well. All of the tires are 255-40-r19 We had a family of 4 in the vehicle at the time of the incident.

  Sep 28, 2023
• Power train

  The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz S550. The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, the message "SAFETY" was temporarily displayed on the instrument panel. Additionally, the contact stated while starting the vehicle on several occasions, the message " SAFETY " was displayed on the infotainment system screen. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the messages "Active Head Lamp Inoperative" and "Service Required. Do Not Shift Gears" were displayed. The contact also stated that upon shifting into drive (D), the gear shift indicator displayed that the transmission was in park (P). The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into the intended gear and had become…

  Jul 14, 2023 · 176,310 miles
• Seats › Front assembly › Head restraintCrash2 injuries

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S550. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED, THE VEHICLE WAS SUDDENLY REAR-ENDED CAUSING THE VEHICLE'S DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT SEAT HEAD REST AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE SUSTAINED BROKEN BONES IN HIS NECK AS WELL AS INJURIES TO HIS LEFT ELBOW AND BACK AREA. THE FRONT PASSENGER RECEIVED INJURIES TO HIS NECK AND BACK AREA AND WAS TRANSPORTED THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE WHILE THE DRIVER DROVE HIS VEHICLE TO THE HOSPITAL. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL A BODY SHOP POST INCIDENT WHO REPAIRED THE BUMPER AMONGST OTHER PARTS OF THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE DEALER (MERCEDES-BENZ…

  Mar 25, 2018 · 78,013 miles
• Vehicle speed control

  P-RC-200808004 BODY CONTROL ACCELERATION SENSORS...MODELS 2001-2008 11/4/2008 - 200807001 RE-CODE THE SOFTWARE CALIBRATION NUMBER (SCN) 11/04/2008 - 200803005 REPLACE FRONT SAM S-SC-2012070002 RETROFIT ADAPTER WIRING HARNESS ON CAMSHAFT ADUSTMENT SOLENOIDS MODELS 2005-2011 S-RC-200807001 REVISION TO STEP Z, IN WORK PROCEDURE RECODE THE SOFTWARE CALIBRATION NUMBER (SCN). *TR

  Feb 11, 2012 · 148,000 miles
• Electrical system

  EVEN CHANGE TO NEW TIRES, THE AIR PRESSURE UP TO 37 AND ALWAYS AFTER 1 WEEK OR SO, DOWN TO 33, COMPLAIN AND CHANGE TIRE AND STILL HAVE THE SAME RESULT. YOU COULD ONLY CHECK THE TIRE PRESSURE AFTER YOU RUN FOR A WHILE. MASSAGE CHAIR, AFTER OPERATION AND ALL THE SUDDEN IT STOP. CLOCK IN THE CABIN DOESN'T CHANGE EVEN YOU SET IT UP AND THE INTERNAL SAID THE RIGHT TIME AND THE FRONT DOESN'T CHANGE

  Jan 1, 2018 · 69,000 miles
• Fuel/propulsion system

  MY VEHICLE HAS A STRONG GAS ODOR WHILE DRIVING BUT PARTICULARLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIC OR PARKED. THIS SMELL IS SO STRONG THAT I CANNOT SIT IN THE CAR AND MY CLOTHES REAK OF THE SMELL. THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY EXTERNAL GAS LEAKAGE OR PERFORMANCE ISSUES WITH THE CAR. ONLY THE GAS ORDOR THAT HAS GIVEN ME A HEADACHE AND MAKES ME NAUSEATED. THE CAR ONLY HAS 70,000 MILES ON IT.

  Aug 1, 2018 · 70,000 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.